Mosque wall collapses in Mehsana; at least 2 killed, 42 injured

Around 45 persons were reportedly stuck inside the debris after the wall collapsed.

The Eid-ul-Fitr turned into mourning in Mehsana when a wall of Idgah mosque collapsed during prayers, killing two people and seriously injuring 42 others on Tuesday.

An eight-year-old boy, Asif Zakeeb Hussain Sandhi, died at the site of the collapse while Abdul Sulaiman Dafer, 60, succumbed to his injuries later in the hospital.

Around 45 persons were reportedly stuck inside the debris after the wall collapsed. Fire and emergency officials rescued as many as 42 people who suffered injuries. The injured were shifted to Mehsana civil hospital.

The incident ocurred soon after the prayers got over and locals were about to leave for home. A majority of the locals of Mehsana had gathered at this mosque for special prayers.

Mehsana police, which rushed to the spot, said that the wall – 50 to 60 feet high – had weakened due to heavy showers in the town last week. The water was accumulated near the mosque and neighbouring areas for long hours.

Inspector JB Jadhav, ‘B’ division police station Mehsana said, “The wall was really old and the new one was under construction. There was mud and bricks stored on one side for the ongoing renovation. The locals came to wear their shoes after prayers and the wall suddenly collapsed. The families of the victims have expressed that there was negligence on the part of the mosque authorities and they didn’t repair the wall on time despite the risk that the wall could have collapsed anytime”.

The police added that no formal complaint had been received from the grieving families to this effect. A case of accidental death under various sections of the Indian Penal Code was registered.